Noir
by Jtoasn
Summary: "Film noir- or just Noir means Black, the darker side of human nature. It's mostly used for films that are dark, gritty and depressing." Howard/Vince Friendship.


Noir

Vince was a sunshine kid; he was the electro to Howard's jazz, he was the colour to the Nabootique and he was the Mowgli in Bollo's world.

But Noir is French.

And it means something different.

_French for black, but can be used to describe film noir, the film genre specialising in the darker side of human nature._

Howard shook his head at the computer screen, "That can't be right."

"What are you doing Howard?"

"I was reading this film review, and a word just caught my eye so I'm looking it up."

"Yeah? Well can you stop that and open the shop, it's nearly 9 o'clock." Naboo said as he walked back to his room.

All the years that they had had the shop and Naboo hadn't worked a single day in it. But Howard didn't let that get him down, his work shows initiative.

Yes sir, one day this shop would be his.

But he couldn't stop thinking about Vince and his name.

"Hey Howard. Sorry I'm late, a porcupine jumped out of the bushes and attacked me 'cause he thought I was Saturn. It was insane."

"Alright."

Vince gave him a strange look, it hadn't been his best excuse it was certainly one of the shortest. "What's up Howard?"

"I was reading this review on a movie, and they sort of mentioned you."

"Me? Awesome, what movie?"

"Bladerunner."

Vince shook his head, "Never heard of it."

"Well they sort of mentioned Noir, so I thought I'd look it up."

"On what the computer?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't change my password did you? Honestly it'll be the third time this week if you have."

"Aren't you interested in why your name was in the film?"

"Not really."

"Film noir- or just Noir means Black, the darker side of human nature. It's mostly used for films that are dark, gritty and depressing." Howard said, "Stop laughing!"

"Me? No way. I'm a sunshine kid."

"Yeah," Howard muttered, "That's what I said."

"Anyway names don't mean anything." Vince said as he sat back onto his seat, "I mean you're not anything like the moon are you?"

"Well, I do look better at night."

Vince grinned, "Yeah, you're right about that."

Howard pushed it to the back of his mind, Vince was right. Names don't mean anything, and Vince was as far opposite as Noir as it could possibly get.

He should forget it.

But it was nearly midnight and Howard was tossing and turning in his bed, and he realised he couldn't forget it. What if there was another side of Vince that he didn't know, that he hadn't seen before, what if he didn't know Vince at all.

"Vince?"

Howard whispered as he gently knocked on Vince's door, turning the doorknob he peered inside. He was nowhere to be seen. His eyes scanned the room and they rested on the bed, the sheets had been pulled to the side, off the edge of the bed.

Stepping forward he saw Vince on the floor.

A couple weeks after they had first moved in, Vince had become more insistent on his bedroom décor. He wanted a fluffy carpet on the floor; Howard remembered it well, because he had sold some records so that they could afford it.

He always hated Vince's carpet and how insistent Vince was.

There had to be a reason.

Vince lay on the carpet, his eyes closed in deep sleep, but his body and his face twitched slightly. In the way that kittens twitch when they're sleeping. But this wasn't cute.

Howard was scared.

"Mmm… no… get off of me…"

Vince was having a nightmare, and it was obvious it wasn't his first. Because the carpet was far too soft, and the bed looked the same as it did when they first moved in – unused.

Looking at Vince's face it was a bit obvious now, without his makeup he could see the slight bruises of where he'd fallen, and the dark circles from sleepless night.

And then Vince jerked in his sleep, "Howard?"

Howard stood there, caught.

"What are you doing in my room?" Vince asked, and then he looked at where he was lying, and he realised that he too had been caught.

"Did you fall off the bed?"

Vince scratched his nose, "Yeah."

He didn't say anything more, he just got up and sat back on his bed, avoiding Howard's gaze.

"Night Vince."

Howard turned to the door, but he heard Vince say his name.

"What?"

"I… It was just a nightmare Howard, don't worry about it."

"Vince you haven't been sleeping, I can tell. And it's not just tonight; I can see that on your face." He said, "Just tell me."

He ran his hand through his damp and slightly curled hair, "It's nothing Howard, just – just a dream."

"Don't lie to me Vince. You're my best friend; you shouldn't have to keep things from me. Let me help you."

Vince looked at his hands.

"Do you remember when we went to the cabin in the woods with… with Kodi… with the Yeti?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Kodiak Jack, he er…" Vince shook his head, "He came to the cabin, I think you'd gone by then, he… he tried to do something to me…"

Howard felt his heart sink to his stomach, all those years ago he hadn't even thought about Vince when he had left. He had been too selfish to think about Vince.

"He didn't… He didn't hurt you did he?"

Vince shook his head, "Only in my head."

Howard understood then, what Vince;s nightmares were about, and it was all _his _fault.

"You left, and I was scared…. I'd never been so scared in my life."

Howard grabbed Vince and hugged him, holding him close as Vince almost started crying. "Shh… you're alright now, I promise that I'll never leave you again. You're my best friend; I won't let anything happen to you."

Howard let Vince fall asleep in his arms, and he put him on the bed. His face was marked with the fatigue of the past years. How could he not have noticed?

Howard wanted to know both sides of Vince.

And now here, in his room, Howard understood both sides of Vince. He got up to go back to his room, when he felt a tug on his arm.

"Howard… can you… stay?"

He looked at the sleepy eyes of his best friend, "Sure."

Howard watched over Vince as he slept, and for the first time in a long time, Vince didn't have a nightmare.

And he never did again.

I was inspired by my film class, I was instantly astounded by the term 'noir' and I thought I'd write this. It didn't turn out as good as I planned out in my head.


End file.
